Titanochrysa annotaria (Banks, 1946) Banks, 1946

Tauber, Catherine A., Albuquerque, Gilberto S. & Tauber, Maurice J., 2012, The Neotropical genus Titanochrysa (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae): larval descriptions, biological notes, a new species, and taxonomic changes, Zootaxa 3514, pp. 1-26 : 17-19

Titanochrysa annotaria (Banks, 1946) , New Combination

Figs 12–15

Chrysopa annotaria Banks, 1945 [1946]: 152 [original description; locality: “Boquete, Chiriqui Province, Panama, 10 May (Fairchild)”]. Penny 1977: 16 [species list]; Brooks & Barnard 1990: 278 [species list, as incertae sedis]; Oswald 2007 [catalog listing].

Titanochrysa annotaria (Banks) . New Combination.

Ceraeaochrysa pseudovaricosa Penny, 1998: 62 [original description; locality: “ Costa Rica: Puntarenas Province, La Amistad National Park, 1500 m, 8°57’N, 82°50’W, 18.II.1991. Penny.”]. Penny 2002: 216, 301 – 355 [faunal treatment, brief redescription, illustrations]; Freitas, Penny & Adams 2009; 569 [revision of genus, redescription, illustrations].

Titanochrysa pseudovaricosa (Penny) . Sosa & Freitas 2012: 7 [transfer to Titanochrysa , redescription, images]. New Synonym.

Type material. Chrysopa annotaria . Lectotype ( Figs. 12 – 15 ). Museum of Comparative Zoology [Harvard University, Cambridge]; one specimen, female (examined). Labels: [1] Boquete / Chiriqui Prov. / R. P. 10-V ”; [2] “F. B. Fairchild / Collector”; [3] “M. C. Z. / Type / 25645” [red, printed, hand-written]; [4] “ Chrysopa / annotaria Bks type ”; [5] “ Titanochrysa annotaria / (Banks) det. C. A. Tauber 2012”.

Banks (1945) did not mention how many specimens he used to prepare his description of this species. There is only one type in the MCZ, and we consider it to be the lectotype. Although the genitalia are slightly damaged, the specimen is in fairly good condition.

Ceraeochrysa pseudovaricosa . Holotype. Instituto de Biodiversidad, Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica; one specimen, male (not examined). Allotype and paratypes, all from the type locality, in the CAS (examined, also images, supplied by F. J. Sosa Duque).

The synonymy of C. pseudovaricosa with T. annotaria is based on the shared characteristics of their female types (external: the reticulate dark spot in the middle of the forewing series of gradate veins, head markings, prothoracic stripe; female abdominal and genital structures: shape, size and proportions of the terminal segments, the pillbox-like spermatheca, spermathecal duct extending from elongate slit on side of spermatheca; shape of the subgenitale). Both the C. annotaria type and the C. pseudovaricosa allotype have an unusual, thick, rounded structure with membranous connections to the base of the subgenitale and to the velum of the spermatheca. This structure, which we presume is the base of the subgenitale, was not mentioned in either the original description or the subsequent redescriptions of C. pseudovaricosa .

It should be noted that the ratios of S7 length: height of the C. annotaria female type and the C. pseudovaricosa allotype are considerably smaller (2.1: 1 and 1.8: 1 respectively) than that previously reported (3.4: 1) and illustrated for the C. pseudovaricosa allotype ( Fig. 8 A in Sosa & Freitas 2012). Our side-by-side comparison of the abdomens of the two types ( Fig 15 : A1, B1, here) illustrates that the C. pseudovaricosa S7 is not particularly elongate, and that the two types are very similar is size and proportion. We suspect that the discrepancy in the measurements stems from differences in how we and the previous authors mounted the C. pseudovaricosa abdomen. Our abdominal images and measurements are always made from cleared specimens that are mounted in glycerin on slides with a coverslip. It appears that Sosa and Freitas’ images were obtained from the specimen without a coverslip. Each method for mounting abdomens on slides has its advantages; however, use of a coverslip reduces errors in measuring the heights of tergites and sternites that stem from variation in their stiffness and curvature.

Known distribution. COSTA RICA (Puntarenas); PANAMA (Chiriqui).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Titanochrysa simpliciala, Holotype, Entomological Collection, University of Minnesota. A. Habitus, lateral; B. Head and prothorax, dorsal; C. Head and prothorax, lateral; D. Head, frontal; E. Head and thorax, dorsal.

FIGURE 12. Chrysopa annotaria, Lectotype, Museum of Comparative Zoology. Habitus, dorsal.

FIGURE 13. Chrysopa annotaria, Lectotype, Museum of Comparative Zoology. A. Head, frontal; B. Head, lateral; C. Head, prothorax, part of mesothorax, dorsal; D. Head, thorax, ventral; E. Scapes, dorsal.

FIGURE 14. Chrysopa annotaria, Lectotype, Museum of Comparative Zoology. Column A: Upper two images: Left forewing, hindwing; Lower two images: Right forewing, hindwing. Box indicates enlarged section at right; scale at bottom applies to all images in column. Column B: Modified inner gradate veins of forewing. Scale at bottom applies to both images in column.

FIGURE 15. Female abdominal and genital characteristics: comparison between (A) Chrysopa annotaria, Lectotype, Museum of Comparative Zoology and (B) Ceraeochrysa pseudovaricosa Allotype, California Academy of Sciences. 1. Abdominal segments 6 to terminus, lateral; B. Spermathecal complex, lateral; C. Subgenitale, ventral. Abbreviations: inv, spermathecal invagination; sg, subgenitale (exterior face); sgb, heavily sclerotized structure with membranous attachment to spermathecal velum and subgenitale, probably the base of the subgenitale; sp, spermatheca; sp. d., spermathecal duct; S 7, seventh sternite; T 8, eighth tergite. The scales in column A also apply to column B.